1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for use in producing a bill for a plurality of items. The term bill is here used to include items such as a checkout list, a receipt, till roll and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventional self-service shopping individually price marked goods are usually arranged on open shelves or the like for selection by the customer as he walks around the shop or store. A wire trolley or basket is normally provided for the customer to receive each item as he removes it from the shelf and to carry his completed selection of goods to a sales terminal or check-out area. At the sales terminal the customer unloads his trolley or basket on to a first part of a counter or conveyor belt where one or more assistants handles each item separately, examines it to find where the price is marked, enters the marked price in a cash register and places the item on a second part of the counter or conveyor belt. The conveyor belt, or a shute leading from the counter, takes the goods to a loading area where the customer packs the goods into bags, either purchased at the sales terminal or brought with him for the purpose. When the price of each item has been entered in the cash register the register computes the total cost of the goods which the customer is obliged to pay. On receipt of the money the assistant gives the customer a till roll produced by the cash register listing each price entered in the register and the total cost.
In a large self-service store six or more sales terminals are usually provided to cope with the throughflow of customers. Nonetheless the time it takes for each item in a customer's selection of goods to be unloaded, handled by the assistant and repacked can be considerable. During a busy period, or if insufficient sales terminals are available, customers are frequently obliged to queue to wait their turn at a sales terminal. The problem is particularly acute in so-called food supermarkets which sell both food and a range of household goods where many customers regularly purchase fifty or more items at any one time.